An image processing apparatus such as a printer or a multi-function peripheral installed in an office or the like is used by a plurality of users. The image processing apparatus to be used by a plurality of users provides various functions, and it is possible to restrict usable functions for each user of the image processing apparatus. In this case, the image processing apparatus authenticates a user who has logged in to it and specifies functions usable by the user. Such an image processing apparatus can restrict, for example, use of color printing for a certain user and restrict use of the FAX function for another user.
On the other hand, an image processing system is recently used in which a plurality of image processing apparatuses connected to a network execute one job cooperatively. For example, a scanner connected to a network reads image data and transmits it to a printer on the network so that the printer can print it. In this case, the scanner and printer connected to the network execute one copy job cooperatively.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2003-330668 describes a technique of causing a host computer to which a user has logged in to determine his/her authority for use of each of a plurality of image processing apparatuses on a network and present usable image processing apparatuses and usable functions to him/her.
When a user is going to log in to one of the image processing apparatuses on the network, the method of Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2003-330668 poses the following problem. That is, the user needs a long time until log in to a specific image processing apparatus because the method of Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2003-330668 allows log in after acquiring the user restriction information of the remaining image processing apparatuses on the network. If the number of image processing apparatuses on the network increases, the information amount to be processed increases, and the problem becomes more serious.
To solve this problem, the following method is usable. In logging in to a specific image processing apparatus, the restriction of use information of only that image processing apparatus is acquired. To use another image processing apparatus for the above-described cooperative processing, the restriction of use information of the other image processing apparatus is acquired each time. In this method, however, every time the user uses another image processing apparatus, there is a wait time. This degrades the usability for the user in using another image processing apparatus.